Lecta has invested in a refuse-derived fuel (RDF) boiler at its Condat paper mill in France, operational since September 2024. This was a great energy transformation project offering multiple environmental and economic benefits, in line with Lecta’s sustainability goals.
By using locally-sourced RDF solid fuel with high biogenic content, the Condat mill aims to achieve three main reduction goals:
• CO2 emissions, improving its environmental impact,
• fossil fuel consumption, developing circular economy practices,
• and waste landfilling, improving local circumstances.
The RDF boiler will reduce CO2 emissions by 16.000 tonnes annually. The circular initiative collects waste with high biogenic content from local sources that cannot currently be recovered, reducing the volume of waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.
The new boiler will meet the mill’s steam needs. Local authorities, Lecta’s staff, and key suppliers had the opportunity to visit the RDF boiler; the project had been promoted internally and externally.
This kind of project can be triplicated in other regions or countries as it relies on sorted waste as fuel.
This RDF boiler is a bed fluidised boiler of 32 MW thermal.
• Acceptance by the neighbourhood,
• New legislation without industrial experience, which required discussion and negotiation on certain aspects,
• Fuel supply: we developed and implemented a multi-supplier strategy.
“The exceptional thing about this project is the simultaneous impact on several environmental and societal goals: CO2 emissions reduction, development of circular and local economy, reduction of our dependency on fossil fuels, reduction of waste landfill.
This project could be a success model in the future if it is included in a global plan of decarbonisation. It requires good collaboration with local governments and a coordinated fuel supply plan.
The RDF boiler is a major step for LECTA on its path to achieve environmental goals.”
Mathieu Introvigne
Project Manager Lecta
The Project’s Achievements:
Investment
56 million euros.
CO2 emissions saved
16,000 tonnes CO2 per year.
Any other sustainable benefits
This project allows the avoidance of 50,000 tonnes of ash going to landfill each year. One part of the ash will be used as materials for road construction (avoiding the utilisation of natural gravels).
